Long Walks, Last Flights & Other Strange Journeys by Ken Scholes

Following the short story trend, I moved on to Long Walks, Last Flights & Other Strange Journeys, a collection of short fiction by Ken Scholes. After reading the preface by Patrick Swenson (head of Fairwood Press) and the introduction by James Van Pelt (whose novel Summer of the Apocalypse was one of the best novels to come out so far this decade), I dove into this collection with a large amount of excitement, ready to be thrilled and awed. Below is a story by story review, followed by a review of the whole collection.

“The Man With Great Despair Behind His Eyes”: In this enthralling tale, the secret task given to Meriwether Lewis before the famous trek of Lewis & Clark is revealed. Before the expedition, Lewis meets with President Jefferson, who has a very mysterious piece of money from 1971. With very few clues, Lewis sets out to meet the original owner of the bill. This story flows by without the reader even noticing, so smooth is the prose. Scholes treats us to vivid dream sequences, plenty of twists, and a tormented character whose actions and words ring true throughout.

“Action Team-Ups Number Thirty-Seven”: This tale of superheroes past their prime was truly heartwarming. Our aged heroes and villains learn the power of forgiveness and the joy of life. I poignant story, and touching enough to illicit far more than a smile from the reader.

“Soon We Shall All Be Saunders”: A weird tale, with sections that are almost lyrical or prose poem-ish, in which one man’s sarcastic “If only we could all be like Saunders” gets treated to the “Be careful what you wish for” trope, with interesting results. Another winner from Scholes, this one more for atmospherics than for story.

“A Good Hair Day in Anarchy”: This western on another planet was a very entertaining tale, one without a real villain. Ed the Barber interacts with a hunter who is searching for the dread Slope Dobbins. A really fun, light piece.

“Into the Blank Where Life is Hurled”: This tale of William Hope Hodgson, Harry Houdini, and Hell is another deep, original experience provided by Scholes. Throughout, we learn of Scholes’ vision of Hell, and the power of good and hope. This was yet another powerful tale.

“The Satnaman Cycle”: Santa the messiah? In this tale, yes! An odd short piece, that was a little less powerful than some of the others in this book, we are treated to the myth of a Santa that appears as a messiah to a people in search of a new world. While yes, this one wasn’t my favorite, the lowest quality story so far in this anthology is still a very decent tale.

“Hibakusha Dreaming in the Shadowy Land of Death”: This touching tale of life after World War II in Japan packs a powerful emotional punch. We are introduced to a group of friends who meet for group psychotherapy sessions with an American therapist. We learn of their past lives, and their hopes for the future. This story hurts in all the right places, and shines everywhere. A beautiful story.

“One Small Step”: This odd tale of chimpanzees taking over a moon laboratory is packed full of suspense and this interesting working to make you sympathize with both the human and chimpanzee characters. The human-like chimps really show the development they made while being experimented, and how they gained some unexpected traits. A story that was impossible to put down.

“Of Metal Men and Scarlet Thread and Dancing with the Sunrise”: In what apparently will be expanded upon for a five book series from Tor, Scholes creates a very intriguing tale that draws you in with the wonderful language and style. While it does feel like the beginning of something, and not the entirety of a tale (it ends right in the middle of things), it creates a couple characters that are very memorable. I must pick up a copy of his first novel when it comes out in paperback.

“So Sang the Girl Who Had No Name”: In this tale of redemption found in Hell, Scholes treats us to a beautifully sweet vision of Hope. Once again, Scholes excels at presenting very human characters that never once fall out of character.

“Edward Bear and the Very Long Walk”: Winnie-the-Pooh and an epic journey just don’t seem to go together, right? Well, turns out we’re both wrong. Edward Bear goes on a fun, intriguing, and eventually bittersweet journey to save the lives of countless people who are depending on him. While this one moved a tad slower at times, it still had an ending to pull the heartstrings.

“That Old-Time Religion”: A strange modernization of the fall of man into idolatry, and how God saves the few who stayed faithful. This tale depicts a view of God that some may be uncomfortable with, but as a fantasy tale, I thought it was entertaining.

“East of Eden and Just a Bit South”: Another “religious” story, this time Scholes tells us the “true” tale of Cain and Able, from Cain’s point of view. This was a fun, light tale if not taken too seriously, and there are hints throughout (the tale is as true as aliens cloning JFK!) that one shouldn’t. Not the most powerful of tales, but still fun.

“Fearsome Jones’ Discarded Love Collection”: I like this story, in large part because I don’t. This tale of a down on his luck man named Fearsome who finds a baby to care for was at turns touching and suspenseful, but the ending (or lack thereof) was horrible. Like life, not all of the questions are answered, in fact most aren’t. The non-ending in which, all of a sudden, is just over, drove me nuts, but I’m not entirely sure that that wasn’t the point. Beautiful writing throughout.

“The Doom of Love in Small Places”: A tale of love at the bottom of the world. This is another story in which a lot isn’t fully explained, but we are given an intriguing plot, characters that you would bleed for, and even a tie in to a previous story (See “The Santaman Cycle”). A wonderful piece of fiction that explores love, loneliness, and hope. One of the best stories in a stellar collection.

“Summer in Paris, Light from the Sky”: A powerful tale of three men in France in 1941: Chuck Chaplin, Ernie Hemingway, and the future savior of the Jews, Adolf Hitler. This alternate history tale shows how things could have been different, as Hitler has a good childhood, and falls in love with a beautiful woman in France, who happens to be Polish, Jewish, and black. This story is truly powerful stuff, with a beautiful ending.

“Last Flight of the Goddess”: People in love frequently try to write love stories, tender collections of beautiful prose packed with emotion. I know I’ve tried my hand at more than a few dozen. When these sorts of tales work, they achieve a state that surpasses most anything when it comes to joy and hope and, of course, love. In the story of Andro Giantslayer we are treated to an incredible example of the power of a love story, as Andro learns to live after the loss of his beloved wife. The perfection summation to a powerful collection. Enough good cannot be said about “Last Flight of the Goddess.”

While short stories have made up the majority of my most recent readings, it is rare anymore to read short stories in a quantity even near novels. This is a truly sad thing, as short stories are capable of so much power. One would be hard pressed to find a better example of this in modern science fiction and fantasy than this incredible collection by Ken Scholes. I am awe-struck by the sheer story telling abilities displayed here. By far the best new short story collection to come out in the past year, if not far longer.

10/10

The Vampyre, The Werewolf and Other Gothic Tales of Horror edited by Rochelle Kronzek

Gothic fiction brings to mind many great novels, from Wuthering Heights to Frankenstein, The Castle of Otranto to The Mysteries of Udolpho, but this period also brought about many great pieces of short fiction, which this short anthology focuses on. While this book strays a little away from the super light reading previously featured on here and leans toward the literary tendencies of my major, this book contains the roots of modern horror, and the stories are just as readable today as they were when they were first published. They have lost none of their punch. Below are reviews for each of the seven stories, and then a full anthology review.

"The Vampyre" by John Polidori: In this moody, atmospheric tale, Polidori introduces us to the first vampire story written in English. Lord Ruthven, suave aristocrat, travels with Aubrey across Europe. As Ruthven's immoral use of women becomes apparent, Aubrey departs from his companion and heads to Greece, where he falls in love right as he falls into the grasp of the "vampyre." Polidori writes a tale of inescapable horror that etches each pain felt by Aubrey deeply into the reader. This tale is a classic for good reason.

"The Werewolf" by Clemence Housman: This tale of two brother's relationship falling apart over the wiles of a woman was incredible. Completely, utterly excellent. Housman writes with a beautiful prose, and wraps convincing dialogue from full characters around a plot of intense suspense and dread. This is one of the most engaging, enthralling, and wonderful stories I have read in a very long time. No other werewolf story I have read comes even close to this masterpiece.

"Monos and Daimonos" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton: Much shorter than the previous two stories, this short work was chilling. While the first two were good, especially the second, none of them sent shivers down the spine like this one did. The ending to this short tale was perfect, and the presence found in this story of a man seeking solitude was truly creepy. A real chiller, this tale was wonderful fun.

"The Vindictive Monk; or The Fatal Ring" by Isaac Crookenden: A very light, quick read, Crookenden's tale of love, jealousy, and confused ancestry in Italy is a lot of fun. There is action, excitement, and good versus evil for the love of fair Alexa. Entertaining, to say the least.

"The Curse" by Anonymous: In this dark tale of family curses, we are introduced to a tragic protagonist who plays upon our sympathies. This tale also works as a frame for the short "The Story of John Craig and Isobel Ross," an extended religious allegory that sets up the conclusion. All in all, this murky tale pulls off a sufficient amount of emotional pain to make you wince, even if the final stitch to the ending, while likely less used then, seems cliche today.

"The Victim" by Anonymous: Another story that was probably far more surprising in its day but has now become rather old hat, this tale of two students and a cadaver still rang with haunting lament. Parts of the tale were telegraphed a bit, but it was still a fun piece.

"The Astrologer's Prediction; or The Maniac's Fate" by Anonymous: In the final tale of this collection, a man's fate falls into the hands of a devious astrologer, who divines the poor man's future. After years pass, and the astrologer dies, the man is almost possessed, as he fulfills his dark fate. This was a short, entertaining tale, and moody to the extreme.

After the disappointing anthology that preceded this one, The Vampyre, The Werewolf and Other Gothic Tales was infinitely better. This very short collection contained stories that were exquisitely atmospheric, holding that dark, brooding mood throughout, while at the same time creating such disturbing suspense that one couldn't put the tales down. This is one of the best anthologies of any sort I have read in quite some time.

9/10

Monstrous edited by Ryan C. Thomas

Giant monsters! From King Kong to Godzilla to Cloverfield, they have pervaded our world and our fiction. No, the stories are rarely even remotely plausible in basis, but they can sure be fun! With no small sense of excitement, not dampened by Steve Alten's okay-but-not-great introduction, I dove into this anthology. What follows is a story by story breakdown, and then a full anthology review.

"Present Tense, Future Imperfect" by D. L. Snell: Right out of the gate, we are given Snell's story of a man who bounces back and forth between present and future. In the present, Cole struggles with "blackouts" that are in fact moments of time travel, and his family is growing apart from him. In the future, Cole, in the body of a man named Frank, struggles to save his community against Nayk, a giant spider, as well as a host of giant insects, in a world falling apart. The two stories intertwine well, as they become very tied together, and the story even manages to pack in emotional resonance. Snell did an incredible job.

"Crabs" by Guy N. Smith: Far shorter than the previous story, Smith's tale of crabs the size of cows assaulting beach-goers still maintained a high level of intensity and power. The characters were deeply human, and could have been explored a little more, but all in all, this was another solid piece.

"A Plague From the Mud" by Aaron A. Polson: In this tale, Polson presents us with a slowly evolving tale of dread, as the clues are all there, and we all know what will happen, but we can't turn and look away. This dark piece works that dread well, playing on suspense and short bits of story with lots of breaks, nailing the suspense of the dying town of Monument, Oregon.

"Lost in Time" by Steve Alten: I like generally like Alten's work. I have read all of the Meg books. However, I have never felt like he has written a novel that was truly horror. His Meg books just felt like thrillers to me. They were good, just not horror. I haven't read his latest, The Loch, so maybe that is more horror-oriented. This story, with its many references to his favorite Megalodon, felt like just another of his underwater thrillers. It was a Poe-esque revenge tale, with the secret giant creature was hardly a secret based on the anthology it was included in, and just didn't match with the previous tales. Also odd to note is Alten's use of present tense. This was an okay story, but at this point in the book, by far the weakest.

"Scales" by J. C. Towler: Much better than the story that proceeded it, Towler's tale still wasn't quite as good as the starting trio. While the story was certainly well written, with solid dialogue and believable characters, it just didn't feel like that original of an idea. There have been movies in abundance about people trapped in a cave with creatures that want to eat them (The Descent and The Cave come to mind), and even, to a lesser extent, written fiction. I just would have liked a little more originality. With that said, the story still wasn't bad.

"The Enemy of My Enemy" by Patrick Rutigliano: A highly original story, Rutigliano's World War I tale of biological warfare was one of the most inventive uses of the "monstrous creature" trope found in this book thus far. Short and to the point, Rutigliano delivers a truly effective piece.

"Savage" by E. Anderson: This short story about a woman on a colony on an alien world, who is destined to kill the giant feline predator Jessari, was not the best of the bunch in this book. The story's idea can't be faulted, as it really was intriguing, but the execution just didn't seem to match it. I felt no horror, no dread, no terror. Mainly, it felt like a far more literary bit that had a pinch of action thrown in, and a tacked up ending that just didn't do anything for me.

"Attack of the 500-Foot Porn Star" by Steven L. Shrewsbury: This story tried to be a pastiche of the corny B-movies of giant people wrecking cities, with the hint of sexuality and the over the top situation that is funny into itself. Instead, the story was a vehicle to let a male porn star drop dumb sexual and drug-related comments, and wasn't very funny at all. This was the worst story in this otherwise good anthology. One should consider just giving this story a pass as they read through the rest.

"Keeping Watch" by Nate Kenyon: In this dark tale of New England terror, Kenyon packs a true sense of dread. Up there with the other story in this anthology, Polson's "A Plague From the Mud," the dread factor is raised to a higher level, and rests its malevolent presence on your mind as you flip through the pages. This tale of childhood innocence lost at a lake in the woods of Maine is excellent.

"Nirvana" by James Thomas Jeans: This story of a future world overrun by zombies barely qualifies for the common thread of the anthology, that of "giant creature terror." The tale was good without being great, but just didn't do it for me for some reason. It felt slow at times, or rather anti-climactic perhaps.

"The Long Dark Submission" by Paul Stuart: A strange tale of two very different types of fisherman, this story was rather dull in its attempt at mixing Buddhism and giant creatures. It just didn't work that well. The story had a neat premise, with fisherman at the bottom of the ocean, but beyond that it just fell flat.

"Whatever Became of Randy" by James A. Moore: With four of the previous five tales being less than stellar, I was looking for a story that reminded me of what absolutely blew me away at the beginning of this anthology: an original, intriguing idea, well-wrought characters that acted and spoke in convincing fashion, and a sense of horror and dread, written down by a solid wordsmith who knew how to put the phrases together. Moore does exactly this with his story of losing a friend to cancer. This was one of the best stories in this collection.

"Cooties" by Randy Chandler: This story about the cost of infidelity was quick, rough, and violent. Chandler creates characters that I found hard to sympathize with, but the story still was entertaining, the brevity helping this story achieve its goal. Still a step up from many of the other stories in the middle of this volume.

"Extinction" by Evan Dicken: This anthology is subtitled "20 Tales of Giant Creature Terror." Is Dicken's story terrifying, horrifying, or scary in any way? No. Is it the best story in the anthology? Quite possibly. Can we forgive its lack of horror due to the incredible level this story flies by on? Oh yes. This tale of an alternate form of war was by turns intriguing, action-packed, and poignant. Dicken portrays wonderful characters, a tough situation, and the devotion of two dear friends. This story was incredible.

"The Cove" by Gregory L. Norris: This story of a secret military project had its moments. While at times it was slow, and expressed some views of the army in particular that I did not appreciate, all in all the story was entertaining enough. Middle of the line in regards to the average quality of this anthology.

"The Locusts Have a King" by R. Thomas Riley: Another tale involving the military, this tale follows an Air Force mission to recover data from a downed Predator, and the evil of biblical proportions that they found there. This was a gripping story, and while not the best of the bunch, it really worked well.

"The Big Bite" by Jeff Strand: While the first humor piece in this anthology, Shrewsbury's "Attack of the 500-Foot Porn Star," fell flat, this tale of a giant vampire worked far better, combining humor with a decent plot, as the citizens try to stop a giant vampire from destroying their city.

"Gone Fishin'" by John R. Platt: Another solid story, as the anthology seems to be recovering from a weak middle to achieve the level of excellence found at the beginning. In Platt's tale of a farmer who pays the price for his vengeful actions, we are treated to a very well written piece that creates a very solid character that we can believe and see change over the course of events. An excellent contribution.

"Six-Legged Shadows" by David Conyers & Brian M. Sammons: Conyer and Sammons create an interesting tale here, as scouts in the far future return to Earth and don't quite find what they expected. While the story was well-written, I must admit that almost right as the story started I knew what the big secret was, which killed the reveal at the end for me. Other than this fact, the story was fun, and ti kept me going even though I felt the surprise wasn't original enough to be a surprise. It is certainly worth a read.

"The Island of Dr. Otaku" by Cody Goodfellow: The longest story in this anthology, Goodfellow's story of giant kaiju being used for the government was rather confusing. It is the sequel to another short story that appeared in another anthology, and maybe reading the other story first would have helped, but I found the beginning of this tale very confusing as I tried to figure out what was going on, and in the end, I'm still not sure that I had a great grip of the point of it all. I like to have an idea of what happened when I'm reading a story for fun.

Overall, this anthology had some pretty wonderful highs and a few more lows than I would have liked. The stories "Present Tense, Future Imperfect," "A Plague From the Mud," "Whatever Became of Randy," and "Extinction" were the best of the collection by far, and they really buoyed this book along. If you are a fan of this type of fiction, or of old B-horror movies, give this a go, and you will like most of it. Otherwise, lay off, as it probably won't appeal to you. And, after having read through the whole thing, if a story isn't working for you, just skip it, because they don't get much better after the story starts. I hope that other books from Permuted Press capture the glimpses of brilliance that we are treated to in the rest of their books, and loses the slack.

6/10

Slights Free Sample by Kaaron Warren

Up on Angry Robot Books' website they now have a free sample of Kaaron Warren's new novel, Slights. If you would like the .pdf file, as well as ePub or MobiPocket formats, follow the link.

The excerpt, short of a better word: brilliant. I know that writing a review on a ten page excerpt isn't the norm, but based on that short amount, I must buy this book. The writing is very well crafted, and the story is intriguing. The creepy factor is there, but much more strongly are a cast of characters that make you curious to know more about them, and a plot that begins on such a down note that you wonder just where this story will take you. The dialogue is sharp, and the writing is minimalistic in just the right way. Do yourself a favor and check out the excerpt. It is more than worth it.

The Star Wars Trilogy by Alan Dean Foster, Donald F. Glut, and James Kahn

While I reviewed each of the three novels contained in the omnibus volume The Star Wars Trilogy, I wanted to sum it up as a whole as well. Each novel had its strengths and weaknesses, but as a whole, the stories were fun, filled with action, and a bit nostalgic. The Characters, from Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca, to Darth Vader, Jabba the Hutt, Emperor Palpatine, you are given a host of characters that matter to you, whether you love them or hate them. The enduring fame of Star Wars must be due to that, if nothing else. But past well-developed characters, you have an epic, mythic story that flies along. You just can't help but smile at parts.

George Lucas, who created the overall storyline, obviously draws from a vast number of sources, among them mythology, science fiction serials, and foreign films, and he manages to create a cohesive plot that these authors flesh out with incredible ability. This story is so divorced from our modern times, yet still manages to find moments of relevancy.

This book is more than the sum of its parts, as the three stories mesh and give you a huge story, with plenty of canvas left to fill by other authors, and draws you into the story and the franchise. After this, I can guarantee I will be stopping back in the Star Wars universe again. For fun adventure, you certainly can do far worse than Star Wars, and The Star Wars Trilogy.

8/10

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi by James Kahn

In the beginning, a young man defeated the evil Empire's forces in an important battle. Then, he took a serious blow and his friends payed the price. Now, the Jedi returns.

After the ending to Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, with many strings not tied up, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi jumps off not too far after the ending of the second book of the trilogy. The first few chapters detail the rescue of Han Solo from the clutches of Boba Fett and Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine. From there, Luke returns to see an old friend (Kahn's pun, not mine!), and then the Rebels and the Imperial forces clash for the battle to decide the war.

The early chapters with focusing on Jabba the Hutt and Han Solo are entertaining, but feel like an accessory to the rest of the story. As presented, the end of the last chapter of the Jabba the Hutt section feels like the end of one story, and the next chapter like the start of another. This section just didn't intrigue me like the rest of the novel did. However, after this section, things really took off.

Kahn seemed to hit his stride after our heroic group left Tatooine. From the epic space battles above the moon Endor as the Rebels fought the Impirial fleet and tried to destroy the new Death Star to the fight on Endor itself, as the Rebels, and their Ewok friends, try to bring down the shields protecting the Death Star, the action was gripping, the characters lively, and the story really flew along. The Ewok scenes were excellent, as Kahn played the teddy bear factor up for both humor and irony, and their loyalty and fanatical devotion to a cause was wonderful. Their interplay was spot on. The space battle above Endor was incredible as well, and I found myself flying through the pages.

While we all know the good guys win, I felt real suspense, hoping despite my foreknowledge that it would work out for the best, as Kahn really revved up the tension. His scenes with Luke, Darth Vader, and Emperor Palpatine were also very well done, and Darth Vader's role reversal was well played out, not feeling sudden or awkward.

While this is obviously not going to be the deepest story you will ever read, Kahn created believable (within the construct of the story) scenes, with characters you can care about, and a reason to plow through the book and not put it down. If it weren't for the first two chapters, this would have been by far the best book of the trilogy. Even with them, it is right up there. This was a great conclusion to the trilogy.

8/10

Black Library Accepting Submissions for New Anthology

Check out their page on the submission process, and get writing! Good luck to you all, hopefully I'll meet you at the other side with a published story!